


Blankets and Beanies

by veenaistired



Category: Persona 3, Persona Series
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-26 09:00:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19002592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/veenaistired/pseuds/veenaistired
Summary: One-Shot about what happened the morning after Hamuko "spent a long time" in Shinji's Room. Fluff incoming.





	Blankets and Beanies

**Author's Note:**

> Don't worry, I haven't given up on twenty-something but I really wanted to write this. Enjoy!

The first thing Hamuko noticed, instinctively, eyes still closed, was the warmth. A warmth that was distinctively radiating off another person. Cozy. She didn’t want to open her eyes. The line between sleep and wakefulness wasn’t yet drawn and for now, she was content with simply remaining in that state a little longer. The alarm clock, however, had other ideas. The loud, irritating noise filled the room and chased the last remnants of sleep away as spring did to winter every year. The person lying next to her groaned and moved, partly untangling themselves from their shared embrace, to turn the goddamn thing off. Thank god. Everything took less than a second, but that was all the time Hamuko needed to remember where she was. Feeling a surge of happiness rush through her, she tightened her arms around the body she lay entwined with. Heaven might not exist, but this was as close as it got. 

Shinjiro, _Shinjiro fucking Aragaki_ , let out another sound of discontentment before adding in a sleep-addled voice: „C’ mon, we need to get up.“ So that was what he sounded like after just waking up. Ignoring the instruction, Hamuko buried her face in the crook of his neck. Just a little bit longer. Apparently, he wasn’t too keen on leaving their warm cocoon of blankets and body heat either, because as a response he brought one of his hands up to the nape of her neck and started slowly moving his fingers through her hair. The memory of surprise flashing across Shinjiro's face when he’d seen how long her hair really was, flared up in her mind. Prior to her letting it down last night, he hadn’t seen it in anything else but the usual ponytail, so the moment had felt intimate. Real. Hamuko remembered running her fingers through Shinjiro’s hair, almost like he was doing now, after pulling that stupid, endearing beanie off his head. Without it, he looked different somehow. Softer, but more mature. Realizing she might be the only person in the world who’d seen that side of him made a warm, pleasant feeling spread through her chest. She’d seen a secret piece of him and shown him one of hers in return. It felt right. Her mind cycled around last night, like vultures, back to Shinjiro’s beanie. Hamuko decided she’d wear it out some time. He’d pretend to be pissed at first, then indifferent, but she was sure he wouldn’t mind. And she’d get to look at his hair some more. 

Slowly but surely, she was drifting off to sleep again when the harsh reality of a Wednesday morning reared its ugly head. In form of that damned alarm. 

„Hamuko“, Shinjiro urged again, more intently this time, after mercifully switching off the alarm clock a second time. Hamuko, not kid. Her actual name. Though, she supposed it would be weird to call someone kid after sleeping with them. At that particular thought, she was unable to suppress the grin that was spreading across her face. 

„It’s seven in the goddamn morning, what are you smiling about“, he asked, the tone of his voice telling anyone who’d hear it that he wasn’t a morning person. 

„Oh, I think you know“, she replied casually. When maroon eyes met grey ones, she noticed his cheeks turning slightly pinker than they were before. Still, he held her gaze. It was filled with a thousand questions. 

„So, last night, huh?“, was the one he asked. But hidden underneath the four simple words lay so much more. 

„Yup“, she said, empathizing the p at the and of the word, trying to answer all of the unasked questions at once. Judging by Shinjiro’s reaction it worked, as he just let out a small sigh and pulled her closer again. Good. More cuddling and less getting up. He didn’t seem bothered by her short reply, quite the opposite, actually. The silence that spread between them was a comfortable one. It was simple: the pair didn’t need to talk, because they already understood. The walls surrounding Shinjiro’s soul had come crashing down the night before and she had lifted the veil of cheerful energy and bubbliness that usually covered her. They’d been wholly and utterly themselves. 

„I’m not holding back anymore.“ Hamuko remembered how he’d said it in a low voice, a last attempt to keep up appearances. An attempt to prevent the walls of his fortress from being torn down. But she’d come to his room, to him, with a goal. One she wasn’t willing to back down from. A need that went deeper than the desire for sex: the need for him to accept her, accept himself and let go, at least for a while, of the dark thoughts that so obviously haunted his mind. The sex had been a nice bonus. A _very nice_ bonus. 

Hamuko opened her eyes again, straining, at first, against the light and let them roam what she could glimpse of Shinjiro’s bare torso from how close they were holding each other. She caught sight of a small purple-ish blue spot on his neck. A hickey. She definitely hadn’t held back either. This was it, absolute bliss. 

At least until the door swung open, without any warning. _Just Great._

„Shinji, get your ass up! I’m not letting you skip anymo-“ A very surprised looking Akihiko was standing in the doorway, staring, wide-eyed, at the pair of lovers. Just great. Watching his face turn pink, then full on red was more than enough to make up for the sudden intrusion though, at least in Hamuko’s eyes. The young man lying next to her, however, seemed to think differently.

„What are you staring for?! **Get out!** “

That snapped Akihiko out of his shock quickly enough. He turned around and closed the door with more force than necessary, almost slamming it closed. She could hear him hastily stammering an apology from the other side of the wall then the sound of footsteps hurrying away. The whole situation seemed so hilarious, she couldn’t help the laughing fit she was working herself into. Shinjiro, obviously, was less than amused.

„Idiot, that isn’t funny“, he scolded her. Or at least tried to. From the tone of his voice, it was easy to tell that he wasn’t actually trying to insult her. His remark did nothing to stop her giggling though. Hamuko pressed her face into his chest in a rather unsuccessful attempt to stifle the laughs. In response, Shinjiro released a sigh of resignation. „Once he tells the others, they ain’t gonna stop talking. You know that, right?“ 

That much was true. She’d probably have to deal with stupid innuendos from Junpei for the rest of time. Well, whatever.

„Still worth it“, she said to him after finally calming down.

„Yeah“, Shinjiro looked at her, the expression on his face incredibly warm, „Yeah it is.“

Going back to sleep was out if the question as both of them were wide awake now. Deciding to seize the moment, Hamuko kicked off the blankets and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Her entire body wanted to protest against it, but Akihiko was right. Shinjiro and her needed to get their asses out of bed. In response to her sudden initiative, Shinjiro closed his hand around one of her wrists. Begging her to stay, as if he was afraid that once she left the room, everything that was between them would be lost. Instead of pulling away, she turned around and put her free hand on his in reassurance. Then she leaned in and pressed a kiss onto his forehead. Chaste, but no less intimate than what they’d shared last night. She poured the answer to his silent doubts into it, as if to say „Don’t worry. What we have isn’t so fragile as that it would shatter that easily.“ 

He gave her one of his rare smiles, a smile that never failed to light up something within her and let go of her hand. Reluctantly, Hamuko pushed herself off the mattress and out of bed. Time to get to business. The room was chilly, October and autumn having infiltrated it. Her clothes lay in a messy pile not for from where she stood. She considered for a second. There probably wasn’t enough time to sneak in a shower, but she could at least get a fresh blouse and underwear from her room. Waltzing through the dorm in nothing but the shirt she’d borrowed from Shinjiro last night didn’t seem like the best idea though, so she decided to get dressed for now. Fully aware that he was still looking at her, she pulled the oversized t-shirt over her head and let it drop to the floor. There was nothing left to hide. After she was done, Hamuko turned around and crossed her hands in front of her chest, trying to put on a more serious face.

„You know, I agree with Akihiko. You shouldn’t skip so much.“ He didn’t dignify that statement with an answer, exhaling in defeat instead. Against her, Shinjiro didn’t stand a chance, they both knew that. The young man made to get out of bed, bare feet hitting the floor. „I’ll be back in ten minutes. Be ready by then, so we can go together“, she added before making her way over to the door. Looking over her shoulder, she could see him giving her a look of disbelief. 

„What? You’ve seen me naked, don’t tell me you’re embarrassed to show up to class together.“ It was quite hilarious but made sense, considering Shinjiro. He’d tried to isolate himself from everyone and everything. Make it seem like he was indifferent to everything happening in the world around him. Cold, like stone. He’d tried to push her away time and again. And again and again and again. He’d tried, and for the first time in his life, failed. Thinking about it, she couldn’t remember a time she’d seen him turn up to class at all, so it would come as a surprise to most people to see him there. Well, let them stare. She’d stare right back at them. 

A few seconds passed in silence before he collected himself and said:“ I’m not. Now quit nagging me about it.“ He tried to sound indifferent, but his voice betrayed him. Hamuko couldn’t tell for sure, but it seemed like, on the inside, he was happy she wanted him to go with her. Happy she cared. 

About to leave, she turned around at the last second and went back towards the bed. Not to lay down, but to find a certain thing. It didn’t take her long to find what she was looking for. The beanie. Hamuko picked it up from the floor and pulled it on. 

„What do you think you’re doing?“ 

„Giving you another incentive not to skip. If we arrive on time, I might give it back“, she teased, flashing him a mischievous grin.

„Idiot.“ Shinjiro shook his head. „You’re enough. I don’t need another incentive or whatever.“ 

Butterflies rose up in her stomach. She’d rarely witnessed Shinjiro putting his feelings into words like that and out in the open. Though his words were sweet and genuine, being a little shit was way too much fun. 

„Well, too bad, because I quite like that hat. It’s comfy.“ 

He sighed, admitting defeat. „You’re a handful, you know.“

„I sure am.“ There wasn’t the slightest trace of an apology in Hamuko’s voice. Swiftly, she turned around and left the tiny room. She didn’t notice it herself, but there was a cheerful spring to her steps. As far as Wednesday mornings went, this wasn’t too bad. Not at all.


End file.
